There There Interview

There There Interview

Arizona indie-rock band, There There, have recently released their inaugural EP entitled "Like Love." The five song compilation features trip-hop-esque beats, shimmering guitar riffs, catchy rhythms and even a 50s-inspired ballad. Fans of bands like Deerhoof, The XX, Blonde Redhead, Radiohead, Beach House, My Bloody Valentine and similar acts will appreciate the astral soundscapes found on There There's first official release.

There There formed in early 2011 when singer songwriter Alisha Ways met lead guitarist and vocalist JD Clayton in a former project. When the previous project dissolved, the duo headed in a new direction. JD coaxed Alisha into working on her own songs and together the pair set out to create a sound that blended pretty vocals with noisy guitars, swaying rhythms with melodic leads and cinematic soundscapes with psychedelia.

While the sunny state of Arizona has been home to a few well-known acts (most notably Jimmy Eat World, Gin Blossoms and Meat Puppets), music is not what comes to mind when most folks think of The Grand Canyon State. However, far south of a famous steep-sided canyon is a large metropolis with a surprisingly tight-knit music scene, and within that scene is a group of musicians who have been creating a sound like no other in the area.

"Like Love" is a DIY music release recorded and mixed in Mesa, Arizona at Audioconfusion and mastered in Chicago by Carl Saff. Performances include: vocals/rhythm guitar-Alisha Ways, lead guitar/vocals-JD Clayton and drums-David Drew.

Interview with Alisha

Question: How would you describe your music?

Alisha: It's sort of reflective of our band name; music that's meant to comfort or console. I know it's not happy, sunshine-y music, but it's not about that. It's more about giving people something that triggers a release of emotions with sounds they can get lost in.


Question: Do you write your own songs? What's your inspiration?

Alisha: Yes, I've always been a singer songwriter, but only recently took on putting my songs into a band environment with this project. My inspiration comes from a lot of places, mostly personal experiences, but also movies and books that have moved me in some way. For example, seeing La Jetée got me thinking about memory. The movie is about time travel, but the way it's represented with pictures instead of a steady stream of film was, for me, emblematic of the way memory works and the way time can distort and fragment past experiences. It was part of the inspiration for Fireflies, and my personal connection to the song title is actual fireflies, something I have memories of from my childhood growing up Pennsylvania.


Question: What music/artists do you listen to when you are not playing your own?

Alisha: The last two CDs I've had in my car were Veronica Lipgloss and the Evil Eyes' "The Witches Dagger" and Empire of the Sun's "Walking on a Dream." What I listen to constantly fluctuates and I tend to be a bit late when it comes to listening to new music and new releases, even from artists I like. I need to hear the new Twin Shadow and Beach House albums, but haven't gotten around to it yet. You can also still catch me listening to old Portishead, Bjork, Radiohead and so on.


Question: What's next? Tour/Album/Single?

Alisha: Following the release of our EP, we're just focused on getting it out there as far and wide as we can. Radio promo is the next big step. We're also gearing up to learn new material for shows and future recordings.


Question: Do you prefer performing live or recording?

Alisha: There are aspects about both that I appreciate. But ultimately recording is the more satisfying part for me because you have a finished, tangible product, and something that you can send to people all over the world who may not have a chance to see you live. And with recording, you can try to get things as "perfect" as possible. Live it's not always in your hands. We recorded at a local studio called Audioconfusion, and it was great because the engineers were incredibly helpful and had similar tastes as us, so they knew what we wanted to go for sound wise. That was definitely a plus.


Question: What/who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?

Alisha: Hearing the Smashing Pumpkins when I was in high school is what made me want to pick up an instrument. I loved it: the sad poetry, the razor-sharp drumming, the emotive vocals. Plus, I kind of thought, wow if it feels this good just to listen to a song, it must feel amazing to play it. So I ended up learning guitar when I was about 17. But even before this I was already writing music. The farthest back I can remember is when I was maybe 7 or 8 years old and I'd write songs (just the lyrics and melodies at the time) and give my cousins parts to sing, then we'd perform for the adults in our family. I'd never taken it very seriously, though I continued to write in this manner all the way up through high school. When I learned to play guitar it clicked to me that songwriting was something I'd had a knack for pretty much my whole life and that it was something I loved to do.


Question: What is the biggest challenge you have faced along the way to your musical success?

Alisha: My biggest challenge was getting over a fear of starting my own project. For a long time I made myself a part of other people's projects or would initiative collaborative, but branching out and really delving into my own material has been a positive thing for me and it's yielded a much better result. In the past, there was a hump that I'd never gotten over, and with There There I've finally tread over it.


Question: If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?

Alisha: That's a hard question. I don't know if I could pick just one. I'd love to sing on a Massive Attack song and work with 3D. I'd also love to work with Jarvis Cocker.


Question: Do you have a website fans can visit?

Alisha: www.Facebook.com/ThereThereMusic


Question: Can you tell us 5 things required for a happy healthy & enjoyable life?

Alisha: I'm no expert in these areas, but I'll start with:
(1) doing something you're passionate about. At times it may not always bring you happiness, but the end result is so satisfying.
(2) Surrounding yourself with the right people.
(3) Keeping your promises, especially to yourself. I've learned that it's incredibly important to follow through and actually strive for the things you want, instead of just saying you want something but doing nothing about it.
(4) Don't let fear get in your way. I can't say not to be afraid, because you will be at points, but that shouldn't keep you from doing things, no matter how small.
(5) This one may be a cop out, but the last thing that I think is required for a happy life is to be in good general health. Meditate, exercise, eat right, etc. I haven't tackled this part yet, lol, but I look forward to being able to consistently do these things down the line.


Question: What message would you like to say to your fans?

Alisha: We'd like to give a big thank you to everyone who supports what we're doing. Making music is something that I have an innate drive to do, but sharing it with other people is not so instinctive; it can be rather scary actually because you never know what people will think. That noted, we truly appreciate the kind comments we've received so far and hope to continue making music that people enjoy.


Question: What is the story behind the band's name?

Alisha: The name actually came from the tail end of a dream I had a couple years ago or so. During the dream, I suddenly became aware of the fact that I was asleep and that I would wake up soon. At that moment someone came up to me urgently to tell me something before I woke up, and the thing they had to tell me was that I should name my band There There. Soon after that, I suggested it to the group I was in at the time and it was a no go. It came back to me a year later, after I'd completely forgotten about it, and I decided it would be an ideal name for my current project.